A Recent Short Sale Will Keep You from Getting a Mortgage Loan
Just out of a short sale? We have bad news for you...
A short sale is like a broken promise to a bank.
Many people want to get out of the rental they're in right now and into a home. A lot of folks are in those rentals after the mortgage meltdown of the last few years. You may be a victim of this foreclosure fiasco, regardless of whether it's your doing or you're the victim of the "banking machine" we see blamed in the news. Either way, if you're recently out from under the umbrella of a short sale, or a full-blown foreclosure, we have some bad news for you. You'll have to wait about 3 years to get your next home mortgage loan (3 years starts from the date the property transferred ownership).
The mortgage banking business is based on the reliability of borrowers to pay back the mortgage notes on their homes. In other words, if you can't pay your bills, you won't be able to find financing to buy a house. Low credit scores are one measure of a person's likelihood of paying back a debt. Recent financial hardships are another. If you recently went through a short-sale, you will fall into these categories. A financial institution will not lend money to a potential borrower who, at this point, is having financial trouble (regardless of the reason behind the financial issues).
A Few Notes
- A short sale is different from filing bankruptcy. The threshold for that is actually 2 years.
- "Deed in lieu" is also a foreclosure.
- If you filed bankruptcy and included the house in the bankruptcy, then you had a "bankruptcy and foreclosure," and you will have to wait 3 years from when the home ownership transferred.
Mortgage Consultant Jeremy Drobeck explains it in these concise terms: "If you agreed to pay back a home loan and didn’t honor your agreement (i.e. foreclosure or short sale), then we don’t want to lend you any more money for at least 3 years!"
So if you're considering a home mortgage loan, make sure you have not gone through a short sale transaction in the last 3 years. If you'd like to know more about the mortgage process and how credit affects your borrowing chances, download the free eBook "The Road to Mortgage-Ready Credit" at the button below.
(fingers crossed: Flickr user cinnamon_girl)